1. Field
The present application relates to an imaging apparatus which picks up an image of a subject to generate image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various technologies with regard to exposure adjustment of an imaging apparatus have been devised. For example, in inventions of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-84455, an output level is kept constant by switching a target value of exposure control depending on a selected gradation characteristic when a gradation conversion characteristic is switched.
In addition, a phenomenon has been known in which dark area gradation of image data is 100% black, totally underexposed by shooting a subject having a large difference in luminance. Therefore, in the inventions of Japanese Patent No. 2663189, gradation is compressed by increasing the gain of dark area gradation to improve blackouts thereof.
The inventions of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-84455 employ a constant exposure target value that depends on the gradation conversion characteristic, regardless of a luminance pattern of a subject. Therefore, appropriate exposure adjustment cannot be performed when the optimum exposure adjustment differs in accordance with the luminance pattern of the subject, such as gradation compression of the inventions of the Japanese Patent No. 2663189.